Spirit-level and plumb



(NoModeL) W. M. MORTON.

SPIRIT LEVEL AND PLUMB.

No. 573,682. Patented Dec. 22, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM'M. MORTON, OF NElV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SPIRIT-LEVEL AND PLUMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,682, dated December22, 1896.

Application filed February 8, 1896. Serial No. 578,477. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it kn own that I, WILLIAM M. MORTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, county of New Haven,. and State of Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spirit-Levels and Plumbs,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive form of spirit-level and plumb, the bubble-glass cases ofwhich can be readily removed for repair and quickly and convenientlyadjusted to secure perfect accuracy in their indication.

To this end my invention consists in the spirit-level constructed ashereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters designate like parts inthe several figures, Figure 1 is a side view of a level and plumbembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof with a portion ofthe frame broken out. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. at is a detailview of one of the bubble-glass cases with aportion of the same brokenout. Fig. 5 is an end view of said case.

The frame of the level and plumb devised by me is composed of threeplates of sheet metal, preferably sheet-steel, to wit: a top plate I), abottom plate 0, and an intermediate plate 66, which intermediate plateis provided at its side edges with a series of tenons a, which enter aseries of corresponding slots or mortises centrally located in saidplates b and c and are riveted down against the outer surface of thelatter, thereby securely uniting said plates together. A very strong andrigid frame is thus secured, which is considerably lighter than thoseheretofore used, and which presents a neat and pleasing appearance, theends of the teuons a being practically invisible at the outer sides ofthe plates Z) c 'aftersaid outer faces have been reduced to a trueplane.

At a point substantially midway between its ends the plate a is providedwith an opening o in which is located the level bubbleglass case (Z, itbeing retained within said opening by means of a centrally-locateddownwardly-projecting ear or lug cl, which is bored and counterbored, asshown, to receive the screw (1 said screw entering a tapped hole in saidplate Ct adjacent to said opening. Said case (1 is preferably made oftubular form, as shown, and is provided with the usual opening in itsupper side to expose to View its bubble-glass e, which is of commonform. At each of its ends said case is provided with a screw-cap d theouter surfaces of which are knurled, as shown, to facilitate turningthem. Said screw-caps serve the double function of enabling a brokenbubble-glass to be readily removed from the case by removing the latterfrom the frame and a new one inserted, and also of adjusting the caseupon the frame to secure perfect accuracy of its indication at alltimes. Such adjustment is secured by loosening one of said caps andtightening the other, as the case may demand, the case d turning uponthe screw (1 as a center, as in dicated by the series of dotted lines inFig. 1.

hen the instrument is also to perform the function of a plumb, the platea is provided with a second opening a located near one end thereof andextending transversely thereof, in which opening is located the plumbbubble-glass casefand its glass f said case having an ear or in g f toreceive a holding-screw f and having screw-caps f all of which performthe same functions as the corresponding parts of the level-glass justdescribed.

In both cases the end bearing of the screwcaps against the walls of theopenings in which the cases are located in connection with the holdingaction of the screws d f not only enables a very delicate and accurateadjustment of the cases to be secured, but securely holds the casesagainst movement after being so adjusted. As before stated, the use ofsaid screw-caps also enables the user of the instrument to quickly andconveniently remove a broken glass from the case and insert a new onewithout being thereof for such operation, as has been customaryheretofore.

I do not herein claim, broadly, the frame for levels and plumbs hereinshown and described, such form of frame being made the obliged to returnthe instrument to the maker subject of claim in an application filed byme of even date herewith, Serial No. 578,480.

lVhile I have herein shown and described the holding and adjustingdevices at the ends of the bubble-glass cases cl and f as being in theform of screw-caps, it will be obvious that other forms of screw-threaddevices applied to the ends of said cases can be used within the spiritof my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a spirit-level, the combination with a frame provided with anopening in the upright portion thereof, of a bubble-glass case locatedwithin said opening and pivotally secured to said frame, said case beingprovided at each end thereof with an adjustable contact device whichcontact devices are adapted to engage the opposite ends of the openingin said frame simultaneously to hold the case invarying positions ofadjustment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spirit-level, the combination with a suitable frame, of abubble-glass case located within an opening in said frame and providedwith a laterally projecting lug through which passes a pivot-screwentering the frame, said case being provided at its opposite ends withremovable screw-caps the outer surfaces of which engage the end walls ofthe opening in said frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a spirit-level, the combination with a frame composed of threeplates of sheet metal, viz: a top plate, a bottom plate, and anintermediate plate standing a ta right angle to said top and bottomplates and joining the latter at their center line, of a bubbleglasscase located within an Opening in said intermediate plate and having acentrallylocated, projecting lug which receives a screw passing intosaid plate at one side of said opening, said case-being provided at eachend thereof witha removable head each of which heads bears at its outerside against the adjacent end wall of said opening, substantially as setforth. I

4. In a spirit-level, the combination with the frame composed of thesheet-metal plates at Z) c joined together substantially in the mannerdescribed, said plate a being provided with the openings a a of thebubbleglass cases dand f located in said openings respectively andhaving the projecting lugs cl f respectively to receive theholdingscrews d f, said cases being provided with the screw-caps d frespectively, located at their opposite ends and bearing against theadjacent end walls of said openings, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

WILLIAM M. MORTON. Witnesses:

WM. H. CHAPMAN, GEORGE E. HALL.

